NEWS EXTRA
carbon footprint and achieve net zero climate goals.
On the second day we embarked on our journey to the World Expo 2020. Originally planned to run from October 2020 to March 2021, it was postponed due to the covid- 19 pandemic and is now running until the 31st March 2022. On arrival at the Expo you cannot help but be amazed by the sheer scale of the development, with some of the larger exhibits being similar to small stadiums in their own right.
The main site of Expo 2020 Dubai is a 438-hectare area (1083 acres) located between the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi and is organised around a central plaza, entitled Al Wasl, enclosed by three large thematic districts. The theme of the Expo is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. And each of the three districts is dedicated to one of the sub-themes of Expo 2020 – Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.
192 Countries are exhibiting across the 3 districts of the Expo, each seeking to promote their achievements and the opportunities from locating your business in their country.
Euro-mat delegates had been invited to attend the Dutch Pavilion and a Symposium on “Circularity & Profitability in Construction” and as President of Euro-mat I was asked to give a short speech on how our merchant members understand their responsibility for building a better world and believe they are ideally placed to make a real difference to achieving climate change targets and contributing to
attaining net zero emissions by 2050. Presentations also followed by the CCO of Wienerberger and CEO of Kingspan and both identified the positive
changes they were already making in reducing their carbon emissions and providing
sustainable products for the future.
The symposium finished with the launch of a new sustainable product Leadax “Roov” the worlds’ first sustainable roofing membrane, made from recycled plastic waste and has an up to 85% lower CO2 footprint compared to other flat roofing membranes in the market. Leadax Roov is a circular product, specially made for flat and slightly sloping roofs and can be recycled again at the end of its lifecycle. Leadax Roov is off-white, which gives it a substantial reflection value.
We also witnessed the signing of an agreement by the CCO of Wienerberger Solveig Menard- Galli and CEO of Leadax Roeland van Delden, for the European distribution of Leadax Roov, which will be made available in the Netherlands from the beginning of 2022, and other European countries will follow subsequently. It was great to see a few of the NMBS merchant members and distributors from the UK at the event and it just demonstrates the interest an event like the Expo has
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to draw delegates from across the globe.
It would be almost impossible to give a write up on all the exhibits I attended as the World Expo is experiential in nature and is all about immersing yourself in the visual and sounds, of the almost Disney
like interactive stage shows and exhibits, that both dazzle and fill you with wonder at the same time. Robot assistants even roam the park offering advice and there are lots of places to try the many delights of local delicacies from around the world.
My favourite exhibits included those from UAE, Thailand, Lithuania, Spain, Belgium, Singapore and Russia all of which made you think about the 3 key Expo themes of Opportunity, Sustainability and Mobility but also how you could engage and learn
from the many innovative ideas on show.
I would recommend attending the Expo for anyone interested in exploring the many innovative ideas from around the world in the space of a few days and for those interested in seeing the future now and the many opportunities that lie ahead for us all. BMJ
Chris Hayward Managing Director of NMBS & President of Euro-Mat.
Read about our Winter Working tips and products at
k-rend.co.uk
January 2022
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
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